Building construction



July 19, 1938. D. v. NELSON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 18, 1937 Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" 2,124,311 v p 7 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 3:

David V. Nelson, Chicago, Ill. Application February 18, 1937, serial No. 126,343

2 Claims.

My invention relates in general to building construction and has more particular reference to a soundproof suspension means for the support of ceilings and other surfacing elements in a manner suppressing sound transfer through the supported elements; An important object is to provide support means forceilings and similar surfacing elements in building structures while suppressing or minimizing the transfer of sound through the support.

The utility of sound suppressing support means i will be readily perceived when it is understood that ceilings and similar surfacing elements may act as an enlarged sounding board adapted to magnify any vibration transferred thereto from the basic structure on which it is anchored, the provision of means for suppressing sound transfer between the basic structure and the surfacing element being particularly desirable in ofiice buildings and other structures where quiet is especially desired and where the basic structure is subject to vibration initiating from various sources.

Another important object is to provide an improved. acoustical structure particularly for use in the suspension of ceilings.

Another important object is to provide an improved acoustical mounting clip for ceilings and the like, the clip being formed to substantially prevent transfer of vibration between a basic structure and a ceiling mounted on the structure by means of the clip.

Another important object is to provide a mounting clip of simplified and inexpensive construction and simplified means for mounting the samein position to support a surfacing element on a basic structure.

Another important object resides in the provision of an improved method for the soundless support of ceiling and similar surfacing elements in a building structure.

These, and numerous other important objects, advantages, and inherent functions of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a ceiling suspension embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of parts of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 in Figure 2; and

soundproof mounting element l3 although it will be apparent that the invention is not necessarily restricted to ceiling structures, but many aspects of the invention may conveniently be employed in soundproof structures generally and particularly in structures requiring soundproof anchorage of ll) surfacing elements.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling structure H is mounted or assembled on a basic support structure l5, such as the concrete frame of a building in which the ceiling structure is built. This frame l5 may be formed with wires or cables I! embedded therein and depending therefrom to form means for suspending the ceiling structure II in place. The ceiling structure comprises, in the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of beams l9 extending in preferably and substantially parallel spaced apart relationship and suspended at predetermined spaces with respect to the element l5 of the basic structure by means of the acoustical clips l3 and the cables 11 or other suspension elements for supporting said clips. The clips l3 comprise a channel-shaped element 2| which may be formed of any preferred material although the element 2| may be most conveniently produced as a sheet metal stamping by bending the opposite ends of a rectangular strip of material to form parallel, spaced-apart wall portions 23 interconnected by means of a joining wall 25 clearly shown in Figure 4. Retaining clips or lugs 21 are arranged at the edges of the walls 23 as shown in Figure 4 andtheseclips may be separate pieces welded or otherwise fastened to the said walls or may be formed integral therewith if desired. Within the channel 21, I arrange a layer 29 of felt'or other suitable sound deadening material, said layer preferably comprising a strip of material adapted to fit within and cover the inner walls of the channel. The clips 21 may be folded inwardly as shown in Figure 3 after the acoustical layer 29 is assembled within the channel 2l in order to hold the parts in place, the edges of the clips being adapted to grip the edges of the acoustical layer and to clamp the same against the walls of the channel 2|.

It will be noted that the clip I3 is of extremely simple and inexpensive construction, and is adapted to receive the beams l9, which may be steel channels or other preferred forms, within the channel and that when so assembled the beams will be bedded in the resilientsound deadening acoustical material 29. Of course, any number of mounting clips [3 may be utilized in supporting a beam and the beam may be hung in a desired spacement merely by wrapping the suspension cables I! each around a clip- 13 in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Of course, any other kind of suspension element suspension element I! to the clips I3 will be largely, if not entirely, absorbed in the layer 29 and will not be transferred to the beams I9.

The beams l9, therefore, form a substantially soundless support on which the ceiling itself may be erected. The ceiling, of course, may be of any preferred structural form and may comprise a plurality of spaced cross beams 3| anchored in spaced-apart relationship on the beams [9 in any suitable fashion and preferably by means of the tie elements 33 comprising in the illustrated embodiment pieces of wire wrapped around the beams I9 and 3|. The spaced beams 3!, of course, provide an anchorage for the ceiling 35 which may also be of any preferred material or structural character. In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling 35 comprises a plaster receiving layer 37, such as expanded metal or other foraminous construction, which is secured on the beams 35 in any convenient or preferred manner, for example, by utilizing the ends of the wires 33 to secure the plaster retaining layer 3! in place. Alternately, if the beams iii are of wood or other nail receiving material or construction, the layer 3? may be mounted by nail-like fasteners. layer 31 also may comprise wooden slats nailed in place on the beams 3!. The ceiling may be finished by applying a finishing layer 39 on the layer 31 and this finishing layer 39 may be plaster or any other surfacing material depending, of course, upon the nature of the underlying support layer 3'! and it is entirely within the conception of my present invention to form a ceiling of boards nailed or otherwise attached directly upon the beams 3|.

While I have illustrated and described the present invention as applied in ceilings, it is obvious that the sound excluding clip l3 may be utilized to advantage in anchoring other surfacing elements and I, therefore, do not wish, necessarily, to restrict my present invention merely to ceiling structures.

The

Surfacing elements, such as ceilings, when mounted in the manner heretofore described, are substantially soundproof. That is to say, any vibration originating or initiated in the basic support structure I 5 may not reach the surfacing structure H, all vibration transmitted through the suspension elements I! being excluded from the surfacing structure by the resilient layer 29. The structure, however, has adequate strength to support the weight of the surfacing structure H and if desired, a layer of sand may be spread upon the upper side of the ceiling 35 to increase its sound excluding properties.

It is thought that the invention and its nu merous attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes will be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a suspended structure comprising a plurality of spaced-apart ceiling bars, the combination of saddles receiving said bars at spaced in- V tervals, said saddles each comprising a plate bent to form a channel having spaced-apart side walls a.

and an integral connecting wall, and a piece of resilient material covering the inwardly facing surfaces of the walls of said channel whereby to resiliently seat a bar in said saddle, and flexible suspension members anchored in and depending from a foundation structure and secured to said saddles to suspend the same and the bars seated therein from said foundation structure.

2. In a suspended structure comprising a plurality of spaced-apart ceiling bars, the combination of saddles receiving said bars at spaced intervals, said saddles each comprising a plate bent to form a channel having spaced-apart side walls and an integral connecting wall, and a piece of resilient material covering the inwardly facing surfaces of the walls of said channel whereby to resiliently seat a bar in said saddle, and flexible suspension members anchored in and depending from a foundation structure, said flexible members comprising wires having dependent portions twisted into loops about said saddles to support the same and the bars seated therein from said foundation structure.

' DAVID V. NELSON. 

